Loudoun County

Public Schools

LCPS ADA Accommodation Requests and Website Accessibility

Our Accessibility Commitment

Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) is committed to delivering web resources accessible to everyone, including individuals with disabilities, and is continually working to increase and improve the accessibility and usability of its websites. We actively strive to deliver a web experience that follows the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), specifically the WCAG 2.0 AA criteria. Current efforts focus on delivering digital content that:

ADA Accommodation Request for Disabled Members of the Public

This ADA Accommodation Request is valid for one event only and must be submitted five days prior to the event date.

I Can’t See Very Well

Use Your Computer to Read Web Pages Out Loud

There are several tools that will read out loud the text on
websites to you, some of which may already be installed on your computer. Talking browsers are web browsers that read
aloud the text on websites. Screen
readers and some screen magnifies are specialized software that read aloud any
text on the screen, including that in your web browser. Screen readers and magnifiers often provide a
variety of functions such as summarizing the contents of web pages,
highlighting the text being spoken, or providing the text on a refreshable
braille display. Setting up and learning
how to use such tools effectively may need some initial guidance and
training. Vendors of such tools usually
provide detailed documentation for the customization options and may sometimes
provide training and support directly or through third-parties.

Enlarge Text and Images

Most web browsers will allow you to simply enlarge and
reduce text and image sizes through the options in the menu bar, or by pressing
“Ctrl +” and “Ctrl –“ or other keyboard combinations. However, these changes are often temporary
and may be lost when you open a new browser window or the next time you start
your web browser. To make text and
images appear larger by default in your web browser, you need to modify the
settings of the web browser.

Magnify Your Screen

If enlarging the text is not enough to make the page easily
readable, the next step is to magnify your screen. There are screen magnifies, some of which are
built directly into your operating system of your computer. These software tools enlarge the text and
images, and can sometimes be set to read the text and the menus out load. Vendors of such software usually provide detailed
documentation on customization options and may sometimes provide training and
support directly or through third-parties.

Change Background and Text Colors

You can change the default colors for text, background, or
links, and change the default font styles to make the content easier for you to
distinguish and read. Several web
browsers provide simple options for defining such color and font schemes,
including options to resue the color schemes of the operating system, in case
you already defined custom settings.

Make Your Mouse Pointer More Visible

The mouse pointer is sometime hard to see. The size and color of the mouse-pointer on
the screen can be adjusted to make it easier for you to identify and locate
it. In addition, most operating systems
provide options to show a trail when the mouse-pointer moves on the screen, or
to highlight the mouse-pointer when a specific key is pressed (such as the
“Ctrl” key).

Use the Keyboard to Navigate Screens

Many software applications, including web browsers, can be
operated through the keyboard. Web
browsers generally support the “Tab” key to jump from one link or form control
to the next. Other common keyboard
commands include:

"Enter" - activates links or controls such as form submit buttons

"Page-Down", "Page-Up", and
"Arrow" keys - scroll within the web page

"Alt Arrow-Left" and "Alt Arrow-Right"
- move back and forth in the history

I am Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Volume Control

Some keyboards have volume-increase and volume-decrease buttons
that will adjust the volume level to your preference. In addition, you can
adjust the volume and other sound options from the settings in the operating
system of your computer. Depending on the loud-speakers and other sound devices
attached to your computer, there may additional volume and sound controls to
adjust. Software tools that are used to show video or listen to audio are
called "media players".
Sometimes they are embedded into the web browser, and they usually have
additional volume controls too. Be sure to adjust these options, and to make
sure that the sound output of the system or the speakers is not muted.

click the Start button

click "Control Panel"

click "Hardware and Sound"

click "Adjust System Volume"

use the volume control to increase or
decrease sound to the desired level

Captions and Transcripts

When audio and videos with audio are produced to be accessible for
all users, they contain captions (in some languages "captions" and
"subtitles" are the same word). Often these captions are not
displayed by default but need to be switched on in the customization options of
the software tool that is used to show video or listen to audio (called "media
player"). Sometimes text transcripts of the audio are provided in
addition or instead of the captions. Ideally these transcripts are provided
directly below or nearby the audio content. Sometimes they are provided as
external files or separate web pages.

Note: Sometimes, the media players are embedded directly in the content
displayed in your web browser. Check the settings of these media players too.

Difficulty Typing and Using Your Keyboard

Customize Keyboard Functions

Keyboards can be adjusted through the settings in the
operating system of your computer, to help you type more effectively with less
effort. Examples include:

Shortcut Keys

Assigning actions, such as
selecting menu items or typing in pre-defined text, to an individual key or a
combination of keystrokes. For instance, most word editors and web browsers
provide a shortcut on the key combination "Ctrl s", as an
alternate method for selecting the menu item "save". You can
define additional shortcuts for frequent actions that you perform on your
computer.

Sticky Keys

In order to facilitate
single-handed typing, you can customize your computer so that functions keys,
such as "Ctrl" or "Alt", do not need to be
pressed at the same time as other keys to invoke key combinations. For
instance, by switching on the sticky keys function, you can press "Ctrl"
then "s" to save, rather than needing to press them at the
same time.

Key Filters

Filters can be set to avoid
repeating the input through a key that has been pressed down for too long, a
key that has been pressed down several times within a short interval, or keys
that have been pressed and are immediately surrounding a key that was pressed
in advance. This is useful for people with reduced dexterity or who may press
keys unintentionally.

Using Voice Commands

Voice recognition can be used to dictate text or to control the entire
computer. For instance, so called "voice commands" can be used
to launch or to close applications such as the web browser, or to perform
actions such as selecting links or scrolling on a web page. Some computer
operating systems include such voice recognition capabilities. Voice
recognition tools usually need training to better learn your voice, and may
still be prone to substantial error rates. However, these software can be
effective for people who have difficulty typing and using the keyboard or mouse
effectively.

LCPS welcomes questions, comments, and suggestions on ways to improve our website accessibility. We want to hear from you regarding any accessibility problem you may have encountered on our sites. Please contact us via the options below and we will get back to you to work through your issue and make sure your needs are served and to prevent future problems for others.

Improving Your Experience on Our Websites

Use the most current version of your web browser. The latest versions of browsers (Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox, Chrome) generally perform best with websites like ours.

Maximize your browser window – This will help you see as much content and functionality as possible. Our sites are responsive, which means our content and layout adjust to fit the width of your browser window as it changes. (Some content may reorient itself or get hidden as you resize the width of your browser window). Maximize your browser in one of these ways:

Use browser buttons to minimize, miximize, or close your browser window. On PCs, the Maximize button is in the upper right of your browser window. On Macs, the Maximize button is green and is in the upper left of your browser window.

You can also use the keyboard. On a PC, hold down the Alt key while you press the spacebar. Then press the “X” key to select Maximize. On a Mac, hold down the Control and Command keys while you press the “F” key to view in full screen. On some versions of Macs, you may need to set up a specific keyboard shortcut to do this.

Accessibility Resources

ADA Coordinator

Title II of the ADA requires all state or local government entities with 50 or more employees to appoint a responsible person to coordinate the administrative requirements of ADA compliance and to respond to complaints filed by the public. Loudoun County Public Schools ADA Coordinator is: